


In Restless Dreams I Walked Alone

by Duck_Life



Category: Generation X (Comic), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 22:19:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3626331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duck_Life/pseuds/Duck_Life
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The past comes back to haunt everyone. Fortunately for Monet, it doesn't find her alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Restless Dreams I Walked Alone

It starts out like any other dream, really. Actually, it’s kind of a _nice_ dream. She’s lying on a beach, somewhere exotic and warm, tropical drink propped up beside her in the sand. Theresa Cassidy, of all people, is beside her making a sandcastle and singing, loudly, which is surprising because it isn’t really like her, despite her old codename.

Monet turns to make some comment, likely along the lines of, “Terry, who sings that song?/Let’s keep it that way,” but her mouth won’t work. The words don’t come.

She can’t speak.

And then it’s a nightmare, the air too hot and stifling, the crash of the waves roaring in her ears. No matter how hard she tries she can’t call out. A glance down reveals the ruby-red sheen of her skin, the long claws, what she’s been running from for over a decade.

With a strangled cry, Monet jerks upward in bed, heart racing in her ears. _It’s okay,_ she thinks trying to talk herself down. _Just a dream. You’re fine. Just a dream._ Even as she thinks it she’s looking herself over, making absolutely certain she’s _herself_. After all the nightmares, all the memories, there’s that piece of her mind that nags at her, reminds her, _It could happen again_.

Calming herself down isn’t working, no matter how confident she is that she’s safe and sound and in her own body. Desperate now, she reaches across the bed, clambering for Jubilee’s hand, clinging to it when she finds it. What she needs is just that little bit of human contact ( _Vampire contact?_ her hyperactive brain wonders.)

Except Jubilee startles awake, and now Monet’s regretting reaching out because she can’t talk about this, it’s too big. “M? What’re you doing?” she yawns, hand slipping out of Monet’s as she pushes herself up on the bed.

“I- just,” she fumbles, drawing her hand back towards her side of the bed. “I was. Looking for the TV remote, is all. I- woke up and…” But she’s expended the number of words she’s able to say and still keep it together, and a dry sob escapes. “Sorry, sorry,” she mutters, trying to take in deep breaths.

Jubilee blinks. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Monet says nothing, and without waiting for an answer, Jubilee wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her back across the bed, tucking Monet’s head under her chin and holding her tightly. “You wanna talk about it?” she says into her girlfriend’s hair. Monet shakes her head, the ends of her bangs tickling Jubilee’s neck. “Okay,” says Jubilee, and just keeps on holding her.

Monet thinks maybe she _should_ talk about it. It occurs to her that it’s _ironic_ , really, that she finds it so hard to talk about this. About _not being able to talk_. Not being able to scream, or beg, or warn anyone. It hits her, sometimes, how grateful she is to be able to communicate. To tell people how she feels, what she wants. Now she can do any of that, _easily_ , but she can’t bring herself to speak.

“I… had a bad dream,” she admits, voice muffled against the over-large t-shirt Jubilee sleeps in.

“I kinda figured.” She waits, patiently, but Monet won’t say anything else. So she kisses her, on the top of her head, once, twice, three times, and rubs gentle circles into her back with the tips of her fingers. “You can tell me about it later, if you want. Or you don’t have to tell me at all,” she says, which is sort of exactly what Monet needs to hear.

Her breathing slows, and her pulse isn’t pounding anymore. Jubilee has done the impossible and calmed her down. And, she realizes, she didn’t even have to ask. Jubilation Lee just knew.

 

 

 


End file.
